R.E.M. to Release 25th Anniversary Reissue of ‘Automatic for the People’

R.E.M. will celebrate the 25th anniversary of its hit Automatic for the People LP with a deluxe reissue later this year.

The band broke the news via social media, telling followers the Automatic anniversary edition should arrive this fall. Although we're still waiting on specific details regarding the set's contents, it'll presumably follow the pattern established by last year's deluxe 25th anniversary reissue of Out of Time, which added demos, live tracks, videos, and new liner notes to the remastered LP.

Automatic for the People's reissue is being supervised by the freshly launched Craft Recordings imprint under Concord Bicycle's label umbrella. As recently announced via Concord press release, Craft was established to help the company place a greater focus on its large — and expanding — vault of catalog recordings by a variety of artists and labels, with an emphasis on the deluxe packages that have surged in popularity over the last several years.

"Using the original analog masters whenever possible, the company will create thoughtfully produced, detailed packaging with a commitment to preservation and a meticulous devotion to quality," reads the company's press release. "Further, Craft Recordings will continue to partner with artists and estates to preserve and enhance the musical heritage of these landmark recordings and compositions."

While the Automatic for the People reissue remains fairly far off on Craft's calendar, the label has already lined up a number of other releases. Thelonious Monk and John Coltrane’s Complete 1957 Recordings is scheduled to receive the deluxe vinyl treatment on May 26, and the company is also reportedly prepping a John Lee Hooker box timed to celebrate what would have been his 100th birthday this August.